Tailor your website content to boost SEO

By Jillian Carapella

Developing a search engine optimization (SEO) strategy has become a necessary practice for brands who want to generate traffic, and eventually leads, via Google. To be found amidst the endless clutter on the world’s largest search engine, learning SEO is critical. Here are six simple tips to help put you on the right path to digital success:

1. Be aware of exactly what your company is sharing online

Before you can begin to discuss SEO, it’s fundamental to make sure your online presence aligns with your company’s brand. Know who your consumers are, and evaluate whether the content of your online media channels promotes your brand in a way that interest your audience. Doing so will help your customers stay engaged with your platforms for longer periods of time.

2. Know your keywords

Now that you know who your customers are, the next step is to develop a list of words associated with your brand, your competitors and your industry as a whole. Find out which of these keywords have the highest search ranks on Google, and integrate these keywords into your website content. For best results, the top performing keywords should be present in your headings and titles. These are the words that search engines will find first, so it’s imperative that they count.

3. Perfect your content

Google’s algorithm has the ability to sift through underdeveloped and irrelevant content. To be sure your website passes Google’s algorithm, make sure your content is well-written, tailored to your audience, keyword-centric and lengthy. The longer your content, the more opportunities for better SEO.

4. Quality is still better than quantity

Even though length matters, it’s even more important that your content is well-executed. Google can recognize when the same content is recycled several times or if it’s done well the first time. Also, be certain that your shared links are from well-known and reputable websites; one link to a top website is worth more for SEO than hundreds of links to lesser-known or questionable websites.

5. Diversify your content while keeping your audience in mind

Although a majority of your current audience might only be interested in one specific product or service, creating content that is diverse and appeals to a wide variety of audiences will increase your reach and engagement rate, thereby increasing SEO.

6. Age matters

When your platforms are older, you’re more likely to have better SEO. Google factors the age of your platforms into its algorithm so it can provide users with content that it trusts. The newer your platforms are, the less likely Google’s algorithm will be to trust them, even if your platforms are well-designed and legitimate. Patience alone can increase SEO.

Understanding your audience, increasing the use of key words and being conscious of Google’s powerful algorithm can help put you ahead in organic SEO. With these six tips and a little patience, your brand will be well on its way to becoming a top hit on Google.